Liquor Licence Holders Must Get Their House in Order Ahead of 2017 Renewal Deadline

Owners of all types of licenced premises must take action now if they
don’t want to run out of time to renew their liquor licences ahead of the
September 2017 deadline, a leading legal expert on liquor licensing has warned
today.

Cathy Colton, partner at Carson McDowell, said most licence holders in
Northern Ireland are aware that their licence is due for renewal in six months,
but she is concerned that many have not yet started to put the necessary
measures in place for a successful renewal.

Renewals occur once every five years and the deadline will impact every
licenced premises in Northern Ireland, including pubs, bars, restaurants and clubs.

Ms Colton said: “Now is the time that licence holders should be getting
ready for renewals by seeking advice on what the court requires at the renewal
date. This is particularly important if any alterations, however minor, have
been carried out on the premises since the last renewal in 2012.”

“Whatever type of venue you have, if you sell alcohol you need to
ensure that your house is in order. Renewals are coming and our advice is,
don’t rest on your laurels, get started on it now. The process can take up to
four months with only a few court dates set aside to deal with these
applications. With courts closing at the end of June we are recommending that
anyone with alterations needs to seek approval prior to this date,” she added.

“Carson McDowell has a team of liquor licensing experts who can provide
advice on this process.”